Sefton moves forward with Crosby town centre improvements
A planning application has been submitted to pave the way for the council’s £13.8m Crosby New Library at the site of The Green car park off Church Road.
Sefton Council is asking for outline permission to build a three-storey village hub, designed by K2 Architects, as well as full planning permission to create new access to Cooksland car park.
The authority hopes to start work later this year to improve the access, parking provision, and connectivity around the town centre with the Crosby New Library to follow.
The site has been previously identified for redevelopment in the Crosby Investment Strategy and has been the subject of a number of bids for government funding, all with the view of creating a new library and health hub in the heart of the village.
The council’s cabinet signed off the outline business case for the project in May.
Original plans included the demolition of Crosby Central Library in Waterloo, which the new facility would have replaced. The existing library will now be retained and refurbished as part of a separate scheme.
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s cabinet member for communities and housing, said: “While these were originally being explored as part of a single scheme, Sefton Council will now be separating the plans for the new facility in Crosby Village and for the retention of the existing library in Waterloo.
“Local community health services have given their full support to the project and the potential to co-share the new Crosby Village site, further contributing to the vitality of the village centre and health in the community.”
The application has not yet been validated on Sefton Council’s planning portal.
I don’t understand why Sefton council are keeping the Waterloo library. The Waterloo building is under-utilised and in an area which could accommodate a housing development, in circumstances where Sefton council seem intent on approving other housing developments in places with inadequate/ over-burdened infrastructure. Plus the funds from selling this land could fund the new Crosby library.
By Anonymous
Crosby is a great area with good travel infrastructure ie rail,buses,roads.
It’s got good shopping restaurants and leisure but overall needs a re-boot as it’s underachieving and could be far better.
New buildings like this will help raise the profile and appearance of the area.
By Anonymous
There is inadequate parking as it is. Library & hub would surely generate further parking requirements! Crosby already loses from passing trade from through traffic due to inadequate provision and facilities.
By Glen Moody